PALO ALTO — Search the web and dozens of videos pop up about blocks, chains and numbers trying to explain how cryptocurrencies work. But the real potential impact—why bitcoin matters—often gets lost in the sauce.

SILICON VALLEY — Silicon Valley workers want to form a union, but unlike the cafeteria workers and security guards who won official recognition this summer, this time it’s the product designers, software engineers, and mid-level managers who are coming together to organize.